SAN FRANCISCO — At first, Brandi Chastain didn’t notice her likeness while posing for photos next to the bust honoring her at the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“I was taking in the room and then I turned to look at it, ‘Well, that doesn’t really look exactly like me,’ ” Chastain said Tuesday.
Chastain, 49, became an overnight social media sensation after a plaque honoring her gained attention for not looking much like the soccer star who is best remembered for taking off her jersey after scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
The San Jose woman agreed with the critics about having fun with the plaque — to a degree. She doesn’t want anyone to forget the reason Bay Area greats gathered for the ceremony Monday night in San Francisco: raising funds for at-risk youth.
“All of us would agree without sport in our lives our lives would be so different,” said Chastain, whose two sons introduced her at the ceremony. “We have a big depth of gratitude for the Hall of Fame because they allow us to celebrate what’s great about sports.”
Chastain tried to keep it light as people suggested who the bust resembled best, such as former quarterback star John Elway or actor Mickey Rooney.
“I hope it brought more laughter,” she said. “We need to use a little levity in the world right now.”
Chastain, who played on U.S. teams that twice won the World Cup and the Olympic gold medal, welcomed word when hall officials promised they would re-do the plaque . Hall president Kevin O’Brien said it would cost $8,000 to $10,000 for a new one.
But it never occurred to her to request a change of the rendering taken from a photograph in which Chastain’s hair is pulled back and she wore a thick coat with a high collar.
When first noticing the bust, the former Santa Clara University All-American thought, “Well that doesn’t really look exactly like me.”
She asked a Hall official, “Does my nose look like that? It is missing a piece. The middle bridge of my nose is not there.”
The official told Chastain it wasn’t meant to be a perfect likeness. The woman who coaches girls’ youth teams, Bellarmine College Prep and Santa Clara University, didn’t think about the plaque after that.
Until rising from bed Tuesday.
“I wasn’t anticipating waking up to this storm of comments,” Chastain said. “It’s so indicative of today’s environment. Information spreads so fast.”
For a woman who represented the national team from 1988 to 2004, the plaque was nothing more than a side note to a memorable evening. Chastain took more pleasure in watching her son Jaden , 12, talk basketball with fellow inductee Tim Hardaway on the dais.